Youth Advisory Board

As someone who comes from a country where Save the Children has had a strong physical presence, I joined thet Youth Advisory Board to enable me to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges facing children worldwide.

My grandmother inspires me because she advocated for girls education during a time when women were expected to stay at home and become housewives. Education had transformed her life, so she wanted every girl to fulfill their potential and ultimately transform communities and the country.

If I were CEO of Save the Children for a day, I would help families who are ​living in poverty. Often, young people in poverty don't get the same opportunities as others and can face extra hurdles. This can lead to things like leaving school early to provide for their families, which can affect their childhood and adulthood as well. By addressing this problem, they would be able to finish their education and get the support they need to reach their goals.

A proud moment of mine was participating in a fundraiser for IKWRO, a women's rights organisation, that raised money for women and girls abused in the Middle East, Afghanistan, and North Africa. 

I chose to join Save the Children’s Youth Advisory Board because it is an opportunity to take action. There are so many challenges in our society - especially climate change, mental health, and inequality - that can make it stressful and disheartening to grow up in. Taking part in the Youth Advisory Board allows me to use my voice for good and help make the world a fairer and safer place.  

I am hugely inspired by Malala Yousafzai, a young female activist, campaigning for girls’ rights. Malala inspires me because in the face of adversity, where so much was taken from her, she stood-up for what she believed-in. She is creative, courageous, and she’s had a hugely positive impact on the world. 

If I were CEO of Save The Children for a day, I would focus on ‘equal education for all’. In the UK, and across the world, the inequalities in education widened during the pandemic. Education is our right, as CEO I would work on making sure that every child, no matter what, has access to, and receives, a good quality education.

I decided to join the Youth Advisory Board because it is such an incredible opportunity. I have had a fortunate upbringing, but I know that there are lots of children who struggle every day and do not have access to basic necessities. Joining the Board was an opportunity for me to make a change, so I had to try it.

A person that inspires me is Marcus Rashford because he used his celebrity status to make a positive change on the world. Instead of just sitting at home, he took action on something he was passionate about. When he was a child, he wasn’t always fed properly so he made sure that other children didn’t have to struggle as he did.

I am most passionate about every child's right to an education. Children in a lot of countries often have trouble accessing it and it needs to be considered a necessity, as education is the foundation for the future and without it, everything will crumble.

My proudest moment was meeting Princess Anne at Kensington Palace. It was a charity event, and I had such a great time meeting famous people and helping make a tree of hope for the future.

I decided to join Youth Advisory Board because I am passionate about helping children in all situations. The opportunity to work with other young people who have this similar desire is something that interests me. Young people are often underrepresented in world, so the opportunity to represent young people in a large charity such as Save is exciting and extremely rewarding.

One person who inspires me is Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer and social justice advocate. I admire his confidence to challenge bias against minorities in the American Criminal Justice system. 

The issue I’m most passionate about is racism and its effects on people’s access to education and service in healthcare. I believe everyone should get the same opportunities in life. 

I would like to bring creative ideas to the board not just about our current projects but also the ways we work in order to achieve our goals.

I decided to join the Youth Advisory Board because I want to make the world a better place for everyone and especially children, and I felt like this would be an amazing opportunity to do that.

My parents inspire me because of their hard work, resilience, and compassion for other people.

I decided to join the Youth Advisory Board as I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to invest my natural dedication and passion into helping an organisation which supports and fights for the rights of the world's children. I have an interest in human rights and equality, and I am a strong believer that an individual's place of birth shouldn’t determine their future.

A person who inspires me is Amal Clooney! She is a leading barrister in human rights, international and public law who has represented victims of mass atrocities, such as genocide at international tribunals. Her unwavering commitment to champion human rights and freedom of speech inspires the work I do with Save.

I am passionate about a range of humanitarian issues, but above all, ensuring that refugees are treated with dignity and respect by governments. Refugees are people and they deserve to be treated that way. They are simply aiming to do the best they can to provide a better life for themselves and their families.

Ignoring the actual meaning of the song, Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush is probably the song that describes me best, as I do a lot of fell running.

I decided to join the Youth Advisory Board as I love Save the Children’s work and, I am determined to make a positive impact and joining the board gave me a great platform to do that! 

I am inspired by people all around me, whether it’s my classmates’ determination, my teachers’ enthusiasm, or the other youth advisor's passion, they all give me hope and inspiration that change for a positive future, is possible.

I am most passionate about ensuring that all children get access to education as every child has the right to education and it is the best way to protect children and give them the opportunity to achieve their potential. 

I want to bring my enthusiasm, exuberance and energy to the Board!

I decided to join the Youth Advisory Board because it is a fantastic opportunity to learn about how large charitable organisations operate and also to be able to work with them and provide a child's perspective in some of the decisions they make. Some people who inspire me are:

• My family, who I learn from every day and feel extremely grateful to have
  
• Jacob Lief, whom I first learnt about from his book, I am Because You Are, which left a huge impact on me
• Malala Yousefzai - after reading about the way she campaigned for girls rights to an education, she made me want to learn more about the rights of children, particularly those that are especially vulnerable, or in less fortunate positions, and what we can do to help.

I decided to join the Youth Advisory Board because so many young people are keen on making the world a better place but often lack genuine influence on what decisions are made. 

With the Youth Advisory Board I really want to change this so that young people can have an active role and be at the forefront in the decisions that impact their lives and future.

If I were CEO for a day, I would create more accessible work and volunteering opportunities in Save the Children for young people under 18, so that a more diverse range of people can get involved in the charity.

I decided to join the Youth Advisory Board because I love the work Save the Children do and I wanted to help in any way I can. 

I am really inspired by other young activitsts - whether it's for climate change or gender equality, I am always amazed by teenagers determination and drive for change!

My proudest moment is when I successfully lobbied our Education Minister for free period products in schools in NI. This change is really important to me as it means all girls are able to attend school and receive an education, and are not at a disadvantage to their peers because of their income.

I decided to apply to join the Save the Children Youth Advisory Board because I am hoping to follow a career in international development to try and help countries around the world reach their true potential.

I'm also an avid pianist, cellist and organist and GB's No. 1 visially impaired tennis player.

A person who inspires me is William Kambwamba for his amazing perseverance in extremely difficult circumstances by coming up with the idea to convert wind energy to pump water resulting in supplying water to his whole village and beyond and saving them from the famine. He is a true example of what young people can do if given the opportunity.

I decided to join the Youth Advsiosry Board so that I could help take part in all the work the Save the Children does. I really want to be part of helping those less fortunate and helping to give them a better life and a better future. 

If  I were CEO for a day I would push for global peace and try to raise lots of money with a sponsored activity, and start a project to help street children attend school, have access to shelter, proper meals, and better health care and achieve their dreams.

I decided to join the Youth Advisory Board because it believe that it will allow me to collaborate with like minded teenagers and adults to influence change and talk about pertinent issues.

I'm currently studying for my A-Levels and have a passion for academics and also sports - netball and athletics. I love travelling and hope that I get the opportunity to explore the beauties of the world!

If I was to pick a song that describes me it would be Levitating by Dua Lipa and DaBaby - I think it embodies my bubble personality and you can often find me listening to this on a run!

Volunteering for an incredible charity like Save The Children has been an ambition of mine for years! As a young person, I believe that we must take proactive steps to help shape our society, becoming more accepting and equal in every way possible. Finding the Advisory Board role was a breakthrough moment for me. 

Joining the Board is one of the best decisions I have ever made; it gives us a voice and allows us to share our perspectives on different topics and issues (a rare occurrence in wider society, unfortunately).

I would say the person who inspires me the most is my grandmother. She is an intelligent, compassionate woman who has experienced an incredible amount of adversity, which she managed to both overcome and grow from.

I joined the Youth Advisory Board because I am inspired by Save the Children's approach of communicating and encouraging children to give a positive contribution to society - I can't wait to be a part of this journey with them. 

I’d say that a song that describes me is Edge of the Ocean by Ivy. It talks about how the more things change, the more they tend to stay the same from the perspective of moving to a new place. 

I’ve always felt that this place doesn’t have to be a physical change alone; new people, experiences and challenges present different opportunities and come with it, different perspectives. It sums up how I felt when I first came to the UK and how I was excited yet apprehensive about the change that I was going to experience.

I chose to join the Save the Children Youth Advisory Board because I am passionate about changing the world for the better. There are so many injustices that children face every single day, and the voices of the younger generation are too often overlooked. 

Although we are so much younger than the decision makers of our society, we still have valid opinions and ideas on how we can make this world a better place for all of us to live. It is going to be our children and our grandchildren that are living in the world after the older generation have gone. 

So I believe it is in our best interest to work as children, for children.

I decided to join the Youth Advisory Board because having the chance to make a difference in the world is extremely important to me. I knew joining the board and offering my perspective was the right thing to do. 

Every single person is capable of making a change in this world, and all children deserve the same opportunities in order to open their eyes to changes they can make, and the strength their voice holds.

The song I would choose to best describe me would likely be Lean On Me, by Bill Withers. My dad always sung it to me from a young age and the reason it best decribes me is due to the fact that no matter what I will always try my hardest to be there for others.